One of the most unique and coveted coffees in the world, Tambopata comes to us from Sandia in Puno along the shores of Lake Titicaca. There, according to legend, the children of the Sun, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, arose from its waters to elevate the masses, venerate the Sun, and establish the mighty Inca Empire.
Puno is characterized by its varied landscapes that range from deep, warm jungle to the highest, iciest mountains of the Andes. It’s also the fifth highest city in the world at almost 4,000 meters above sea level. It is due to the strong presence of the Andes that we can find a diversity of very fertile soils even at very low temperatures, with high variety of minerals.
Just 5 hours from Juliaca we arrive at Sandia, the jungle of Puno. With a unique tropical climate (favorable temperatures for planting and an altitude of 1600+ masl), Sandia is where our journey begins to find the truly special and unique coffees of Puno.
Named after the Tambopata River that emerges near Lake Titicaca and runs through this Puno town, Tambopata is a Quechua word that means structure in the heights. Along this route, the Incas used to place tambos, buildings that stored food for travelers. In Tambopata we find not only excellent coffee quality, but also a deeply rooted indigenous heritage of the Peruvian people.
